Game apparatus.



No. 697,457 Patented Apr. l5, |902.

A. R. DUERING. GAME APPARATUS.

(Applicatiun filed Sept. 20, 1901.)

(lo Iodal.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIGE.

AUGUST R. DOERING, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

GAME APPARATUS.

$PECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 697,457, dated April 15. 1902 Application filed September 20, 1901.. Serial No. 75,813. (No model.) I

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AUGUST R. DOERING, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and 5 State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Game Apparatus, of which the following is a specification This invention relates to game apparatus, and particularly to that class known as tipto eat, and the purpose of the same is to provide simple and effective means for picking up, holding, and throwing one of the pieces by the other without interfering with the effectiveness of either piece in the performance :5 of its usual function.

The invention consists in the construction and arrangement of the'seve'ral parts, which will be more fully hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the parts of the apparatus arranged and positioned for the usual mode of playing the same. Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the one piece or part held by the other and in position to throw the smaller piece. Fig. 3 is an elevation of the two pieces of the device in connected relation and looking toward the side of the same opposite that shown by Fig. 2.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate corresponding parts in the several views.

The numeral 1 designates one playingpiece, and 2 the other, the playing-piece 1 being in the form of a stick of suitable length,

which is held in the hand of the player and A is formed with a reduced end 3, which is fiattened and has opposite converged side edges 4..

The playing-piece 2 is what is known as a tip-cat 0r catand has tapered extremities 5 and a central circumferential groove 6, which provides a bearing-hub 7. In ordinarilyplayiug the game the cat is positioned as shown by Fig. 1, and the stick is held in the hand in such manner that the reduced end 3 may be employed to strike either of the reduced ends 5 of the eat, so as to throw the latter upwardly in position to be struck by the stick, and thereby be impelled or driven from one place to another by batting it. During a portion of the play and in accordance with the requirements of the game it is desired to pick up and throw the cat without touchingitwith thehands or battingthe same,\ and to effect this play the reduced end 3 of the stick is pushed into the groove 6 until the side edges 4 frictionhlly bind against the side walls of the said gl'pove, the reduced end of the stick being primarily made long enough to slip throughhthe groove before a full binding between the edges 4 and walls of the groove will ensue, and the convergence is at such an angle that the opposite side edges 4 of the reduced end 3 will bind only at the points where the width of said end is greater than the width of the slot. The binding ongagement between the two pieces will onlybe tight enough to holdup the cat on the reduced end 3 of the stick while the latter is held in upright position with the lower terminal pressed against the ground or other surface. \Vhile the stick is thus positioned, the player presses on the upper end or top thereof with one hand and catches or grasps the stick at an intermediate point with the other hand. While the stick is held down as set forth, the player forcefully pushes on the stick with the hand, grasping the intermediate portion of the stick. and relaxes the pressure on the upper end of the stick sufficiently to permit the lower terminal to slightly slip on the ground-surface, and as a result the cat will become disengaged from the reduced end 3 and fly through the air a. distance from the point where the playwas made as may be 85 desired and which will be governed by the force applied. It will be seen that the cat flies off the end 3 of the stick in the direction of the minimum convergence of said end. The engagement of the end 3 with the walls of the groove 0 can be quickly obtained by pushing the stick horizontally with the reduced end-in the groove and at the same time I roll the cat. By this means also the cat may be carried from one point to another without touching it with the hands.

The means set forth for holding the eaten the stick will be found very convenient in perfecting certain plays, and it' will be ob served that nothing is added to the cat or stick to render the same expensive or to interfere with the'performance of thejfunctions required of each. In fact, the reduced end 3 of thestick will be more effective in striking either of the extremities 5 of the cat.

The game may be played by taking the long stick by the thick end and placing the reduced end in the groove of the cat or playingpiece while the latter is upon the ground. The cat or playing-piece is then thrown into the air by a quick movement of the stick. Another player attempts to catch the cat or playing-piece, and if he succeeds in sedolng he is entitled to throw it at the stick; which is placed upon the ground at the point from which the cat or playing piece was first thrown. If the second player succeeds in striking. the long stick, he wins the game. If

he misses the long stick, he picks up the latter and strikes the cat or playing-piece on one of the points thereof with the thick end of the said stick. The cat or-playing piece if properly struck will fly into the-air and must then be struck with the stick by the second player before it again falls to the ground. The second player may have as manygoesor strikes at the playing-piece or cat as previously agreed upon. Should the second player succeed in striking the cat or playing-piece while the same isiu the air, it may be caught by the first player or another player and the game continued as above explained. Two or more persons can play the game, which may be varied as desired.

Uhangesin the shape, size, proportions, and minor details maybe resorted to without departing from the principle of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, What is claimed as new is 1. A game apparatus comprising eat having tapered extremities and an intermediate groove, and a bat having a reduced end adapted to engage the groove. 3

2. A game apparatus comprisinga cat having tapered extremities and an intermediate circumferential groove, and a bat having. a reduced end adapted to engage the groove.

Agame apparatuspomprising scat haw ing tapered extremities'and an intermediate circumferential groove, and abut having. reduced flattened end to engage the groove. In testimonythat I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aifixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

AUGUST R. DOERING. Witnesses:

J om: C. FUNCK, EMIL \VASHENHERING. 

